Summary: On episode 110 of the WRITER 2.0 I spoke with R.K. Slade, whose debut novel just hit #1 on Amazon’s New Release list in Teen & Young Adult Music Fiction. We discussed:<br> <br> * how he developed a massive online community around marching bands;<br> * whether marching band is a sport;<br> * why and how he creates memes;<br> * how often he posts to engage his audience;<br> * why he built a platform BEFORE writing his debut novel;<br> * how he decided to write in first-person present tense;<br> * geek culture;<br> * his debut YA novel, <a href="http://amzn.to/28T827G">BECAUSE</a>;<br> * this one time, at band camp.<br> <br> About our guest:<br> R.K. Slade writes marching band and music oriented fiction for young adults (and young at heart adults, too!).<br> Combining eight years of marching band and a lifetime of music experience with a love for the history of music, R.K. finds great joy in bringing new characters to life through the writing process.<br> As the owner and curator of the Marching Band Is Awesome communities on Facebook and Instagram, R.K. is connected with lovers of the marching arts, music education, drum corps, and just about every form of traditional music connected to the school music experience.<br> Having studied Music Theory and Composition in college, R.K. brings a unique perspective and insight into characters, with an expressive knack for describing today’s high school experience and yesterday’s music history.<br> His first full-length novel titled “Because” was released in June 2016. It is Book One in the Time’s Song Series (a trilogy). You can find free “beta” chapters on the Wattpad app (where over twenty chapters have been released under the name “Just Rigby – A Marching Band Story”).<br> <br>
